3 California bakeries among the nation’s best, New York Times says

Three California bakeries are among the nation’s best, according to The New York Times.

Bakers Bench in Los Angeles, Gusto Bread in Long Beach and Quail and Condor in Healdsburg landed spots on the Times’ list of the top 22 bakeries in the nation.

The publication highlighted Bakers Bench in Los Angeles for its croissants.

“The croissants at Bakers Bench are excellent, and once you start going for those, it’s hard to stay away from the cookies, muffins and Danishes filled with fruit from the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market,” Times restaurant criticTejah Rao wrote.

Jennifer Yee, the owner and baker at Bakers Bench, was born and raised in the San Gabriel Valley. She worked at multiple Michelin-starred kitchens across the country before returning to LA in 2018, according to the bakery’s website.

Yee worked pastry chef of Konbi, a Japanese restaurant in Los Angeles that’s now closed, before setting her sights on a new challenge: making the best vegan croissant.

Gusto Bread, a modern panadería based in Long Beach inspired by Mexican and Indigenous traditions, is known for its conchas, multigrain breads and seasonal pastries.

 It’s owned by Arturo Enciso and Ana Belén Salatino.

Up in Northern California, Quail and Condor is the place to find “luscious chocolate Champagne cakes, sourdough smacked with tang and pastries with lamination close to translucent,” according to Times Cooking journalist Eleanore Park.

The bakery is run by Melissa Yanc and her husband, Sean McGaughey, who both have experience working at some of the best bakeries and restaurants in the country.

“Seasonal treats like malted strawberry mini cakes and densely moist carrot cake also make the 70-mile drive up from San Francisco very much worthwhile,” Park wrote.

The full list of the nation’s top 22 bakeries, according to the New York Times, can be found here.

Three California bakeries are among the nation’s best, according to The New York Times. Bakers Bench in Los Angeles, Gusto Bread in Long Beach and Quail and Condor in Healdsburg landed spots on the Times’ list of the top 22 bakeries in the nation. The publication highlighted Bakers Bench in Los Angeles for its croissants. […]